What is CVE-2018-20250?

CVE-2018-20250 is WinRAR Absolute Path Traversal Vulnerability. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Path Traversal mapped to CWE-36 CWE-36; CWE-22 Path Traversal.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Yes: CISA KEV signal present. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

Yes. The supplied enrichment data lists CVE-2018-20250 in CISA KEV with required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with Not reported where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2018-20250 using CVSS 7.8, EPSS 96%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

Publicly linked actor or ransomware signals in the supplied enrichment data: Ransomware use: Known. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

CISA KEVRansomwarehighPath Traversalpublic exploit

CVE-2018-20250

CVE-2018-20250 — WinRAR Absolute Path Traversal Vulnerability

In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, There is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the filename field of the ACE format (in UNACEV2.dll). When the filename field is manipulated with specific patterns, the destination (extraction) folder is ignored, thus treating the filename as an absolute path.

Published Feb 5, 2019Updated Jun 17, 2026Sources: NVD, CISA, FIRST EPSS

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Confirmed

CISA KEV, listed Feb 15, 2022

EPSS

96%

ahead of 99.9% of scored CVEs

Affects

check point software technologies

winrar

CVSS base

7.8

high · 2 sources

CISA SSVC assessment

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

CISA

Exploitation

Active

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade winrar to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Federal deadline Aug 15, 2022 — passed 1,490 days ago

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
check point software technologies	winrar	—	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Local

Privileges Req

None

User Interaction

Required

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
7.8	CVSS 3.1	high	1.8	5.9	NVD, CNA
6.8	CVSS 2.0	medium	8.6	6.4	NVD

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-36
CWE-22Path Traversal

Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.

CAPEC-126 · Path TraversalCAPEC-139 · Relative Path Traversal

CISA KEV details

CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.

CISAThat month →

Listed

Feb 15, 2022

Federal deadline

Aug 15, 2022

passed 1,490 days ago

Ransomware use

Known

CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Exploit entries

Exploit-DB and CTI exploit indexes

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 7.8 (AV:L)
Jun 17, 2026 · NVD
2022
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Feb 15, 2022 · CISA
2019
Initial · CVE published
Feb 5, 2019 · NVD

References

10 on the record

packetstormsecurity.com/files/152618/RARLAB-WinRAR-ACE-Format-Input-Validation-Remote-Code-Execution.html
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/winrar_ace
Third Party Advisory
www.securityfocus.com/bid/106948
Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
github.com/blau72/CVE-2018-20250-WinRAR-ACE
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar/
Exploit, Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46552/
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46756/
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
www.win-rar.com/whatsnew.html
Release Notes

Elsewhere on this site

check point software technologiesevery CVE for this vendor
February 2022what else CISA listed
Path Traversalsame class
CWE-36other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2018-20250 is WinRAR Absolute Path Traversal Vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting winrar from check_point_software_technologies. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 96% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.